Dentistry.



No. 78,469. Patented Nov. ll, I902.

G. G.'MARTIN.

DENTISTRY.

(Application filed Mar. 18, 1.902%

(No Model.)

W/T/VESSES: lNVENTO/P .cz. m 6602396 Gi/Warhu. 1/22 4 W ATTORNEYS UNITEDSTATES PATENT ()FFICE.

GEORGE G. MARTIN, OF PECOS CITY, TEXAS.

DENTISTRY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 713,469, dated November11, 1902.

Application filed March 18, 1902. Serial No. 98,759. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE G. ll/IARTIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pecos City, in the county of Reeves and State of Texas, havemade certain new and useful Improvements in Dentistry, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in dentistry, and has for a primaryobject to provide means whereby the natural teeth which have becomeloosened from any causesucl1, for instance, as pyorrhea and Riggsdisease may be tightened and held in place in the jaw; and the inventionconsists in the improvements hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation showing my inventionapplied to the lower front teeth. Fig. 2 is a detail perspec' tive viewof the anchorage device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevationshowing the invention applied to four jaw-teeth. Fig. 4 is a detailperspective View of the anchorage device shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 4. is adetail cross-section on about line 4: 4 of Fig. 4. Fig. 5 is a detailperspective view of the anchorage device which may be used in anchoringthe entire set of upper teeth. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective viewshowing three combined collars and crowns united together, and Fig. 7 isa detail perspective view showing the invention adapted to produce agold edge for one of the teeth.

It is well known that from various causes the natural teeth become looseand the gums recede, exposing the roots of the teeth below the enamel,decay rapidly proceeds, and great inconvenience results. As the teethoccupy difierent angles, it is evident that if they be anchored rigidlytogether or unified, so they can only move together, the movement of theteeth in their sockets will be prevented and the teeth will be heldrigidly and cannot be withdrawn, as in order to withdraw the teeth itwill be necessary to pull each of same in the direction of its angle,and the angles of the different teeth beingdifierent they will all whenheld together be held rigidly in their sockets, and as the teeth will beheld from movement in their sockets the irritation incident to themovement of the loose teeth in their sockets will be avoided and naturewill set up her remedial processes and the disease will be crowded out.Thus it will be seen by my invention I provide for holding the looseteeth in fixed normal position by unifying them by means of a reciprocalanchorage between the several loose teeth or by means of anchoring aloose tooth or number of loose teeth to a fixed tooth in such manner asto prevent the independent movement of the several teeth. By thusunifying the teeth I hold them in the jaw and also from independentmovement, and I secure this result, preferably, by means of collarsfitted to their respective teeth, the several collars being unitedrigidly together to form a unifying-anchor, which is appliedcontemporaneously to the several teeth.

In Fig. 1 the invention is shown applied to the two lower cuspids andthe teeth between the same. In this construction the collars A for thelower front teeth are designed to embrace the exposed roots of the teetha, from which teeth the gums have receded and exposed the roots belowthe enameled portion of the teeth. When so applied, the collars A notonly operate to anchor the teeth together to prevent their independentmovement, but they also take the place of the gum which has receded andencircle and inclose the exposed portions of the roots and prevent-anydecay of the latter or any accumulation of tartar thereon. At the sametime the collars A, beinglocated around the roots of the teeth, arepractically out of sight, as is desired. In this construction (shown inFigs. 1 and 2) the collars B for the cuspids are closed at the top at b,forming crowns. This may be desirable when the upper portions of thecuspids are decayed or broken off and also whenever it is desired tosecure a firmer anchorage at the end or ends of the appliance. It willbe noticed that by my invention I extend the collars to overlie theexposed portions of the roots of the teeth and to take the place of thegum which has receded. In applying my invention the teeth may bemeasured by means of a wire or other suitable means and the severalcollars fitted and applied to their respective teeth in the positionthey will occupy when the operation has been completed and the teethanchored in place. An impression may then be taken in the manner usuallypracticed by dentists, the collars having been removed from the teethand applied to the impression in the positions they occupied when uponthe teeth, a cast being then taken and the collars soldered or otherwiserigidly united in the relative positions they occupied when on theteeth. Then when the appliance has been properlyfinished and polished itmay be applied to the group of teeth, the latter having been properlyprepared and cement employed to cover any inequalities and to aid insecuring the anchorage device and closing all joints. When thus applied,the anchorage device will operate to hold the several teeth rigidlytogether and prevent any independent movement thereof, and so operate tosecure the teeth from movement in their sockets and also to hold them inplace in the jaw.

It sometimes happens that the teeth are' defective at their upperportions as well as loosened by the receding of the gum, and in suchcase it may be desirable to extend the bands or collars to the outerends of the teeth, as shown in Fig. 3, in which the invention is appliedto the lower molars, and the collars O extend to the outer ends of theteeth, are open at their outer ends at O to expose the natural crowns ofthe teeth,and are provided at their inner ends with prongs or extensionsC C C and 0 which extend along the exposed portions of the roots of theteeth and protect the same by taking the place of the receded gum andalso by inclosing the same in such manner as to prevent decay.

In Fig. 5 Ishow the anchorage device adapted to incase and connect allthe teeth of the upper set, this being desirable when any or all of theteeth are loose and when the ends of the teeth are worn away, broken, orotherwise injured.

In Fig. 6 I show combined crowns and collars for three teeth anchoredtogether to hold in rigid position, as will be understood from the saidfigure.

In Fig. 7 I show a construction whereby the collar D is formed at itsfront side E to conform at its edge to the normal edge of the tooth, theadjacent collar F being formed to provide a crownffor the adjoiningtooth.

From the foregoing it will be noticed that by my invention I provide forunifying the teeth (one or more of which may be loose) by means of areciprocal anchorage which when applied to several loose teeth operatesto hold them from independent movement because of the different anglesin which the said teeth stand, as will be understood from the foregoingdescription.

It will be understood that in applying the anchoring-collars to theteeth the appliance is forced on until the edges of the collars enterthe gums, forming a close joint.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. As a means for securing loose teeth and holding the same frommovement, a series of connected collars adapted to fit around theadjacent teeth and forming embracing bushings around the tooth andextending beyond the normal line of the gum toward the apex of the rootto anchor the teeth rigidly together whereby to prevent theirindependent movement substantially as set forth.

2. In a dental appliance a collar adapted to fit around a loose toothand provided at its inner end with a spur-like extension toward thejaw-bone to overlie the portion of the tooth which has been exposed bythe recession of the gum, and a collar on an adjacent tooth to which thesaid first collar is rigidly united, the two collars constituting aunifying-anchor consisting of a series of connected collarssubstantially as set forth.

8. A dental appliance comprising the end sections formed to fit over andaround the opposite lower cuspids and the intermediate collars extendingbetween the end sections and formed to fit around the lower front teethand upon the portions thereof exposed by the recession of the gumssubstantially as set forth.

GEORGE G. MARTIN. \Vitnesses:

SoLoN O. KEMON, PERRY B. TURPIN.

